


A New Day, Everlasting

by furloughday, PlaneJane



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:00:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29067675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/furloughday/pseuds/furloughday, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlaneJane/pseuds/PlaneJane
Summary: On the face of it, it’s a beautiful beginning to a perfectly ordinary day... Until Arthur makes an extraordinary proposition.Written for The Perilous Lands Discord Server’s 2021 Tiny Reverse Bang
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 110
Collections: Merlin Tiny Reverse Bang





	A New Day, Everlasting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [furloughday](https://archiveofourown.org/users/furloughday/gifts).



A New Day, Everlasting

They emerged from the forest as the first rays of sunrise broke the horizon. Birds sang the dawn chorus. Fine curls of mist rolled over the meadow, carried by a light breeze. On the face of it, it was a beautiful beginning to a perfectly ordinary day.

“I’ll tie the horses,” Arthur offered, taking Merlin’s reins.

Merlin’s eyes widened. “Are you feeling all right?”

Arthur didn’t dignify him with a response. In truth, his legs felt weak and wobbly. Though it was nothing to do with the slaying of the hideous Fed Felen.

The stench of the creature lingered in Arthur’s nostrils. Its visage still blazed in his mind: Folds of filthy yellow smouldering skin. Too-big black, dead eyes that protruded from their sockets. A slinking, crawling, spitting nightmare escaped from the bowels of the earth and into the edges of Arthur’s kingdom.

Merlin had killed the monster. He’d held out his hands and whispered his words of magic. From his fingers, a lightning strike to the creature’s belly and the Fed Felen had disintegrated into a pile of ash and a billow of smoke. Arthur had merely lured and baited. He hadn’t for a moment been in the slightest danger. Merlin would never have allowed it.

Nonetheless, if in the aftermath Arthur appeared out of sorts it was because of Merlin. The sheer wonder of him. That silly country boy who had grown into this magnificent yet humble man. Arthur loved him—as constantly and certainly as the sun rising every morning.

While Merlin surveyed the land that stretched from this border to the castle at Camelot, Arthur surveyed Merlin. Merlin’s long, easy gait had taken him to their usual vantage point. As the sun rose white hot, pure and silent, he faced it head on, undaunted, as he had the Fed Felen—his broad shoulders squared, completely sure of his purpose.

Arthur smiled inwardly. Finally, that tatty coat would have to go. The sleeve had almost been torn clean off. The flesh beneath was unmarred, Arthur was almost sure, though he would check later to make certain. Whatever else happened this day, Merlin would never deny him that intimacy.

Still, Arthur trod slowly, apprehensively, along the track that he and Merlin had gradually worn into the landscape these past five years.

“You reek of brimstone,” Merlin said with mirth, without turning around.

“Well, if someone would learn hand signals, perhaps I would have retreated _before_ someone exploded a venom-spitting beast.”

“I signalled. Not my fault someone didn’t move fast enough.”

“I’m fast enough.”

“Maybe your eyesight is failing then.”

Before Arthur could retort, Merlin grumbled, “Do you have to stand there? I’m downwind from you, you big stink.”

“Downwind? _Downwind?_ ”

Merlin _was_ downwind from Arthur. But… Arthur halted in disbelief. “Since when have you understood the difference between downwind and upwind?”

“I don’t know. Since I was a child… probably.”

“But… when you’ve come on the hunt…” Arthur had lost count of the times the hunt had failed because of Merlin, and his not inconsiderable scent.

Merlin turned his head and grinned. “Funny, isn’t it? Anyone would think I’d been doing it deliberately.”

He returned his gaze to the sunrise. Inhaling deeply, his shoulders rose, and on his exhale they fell. Completely relaxed. He swayed like the shimmering blades of meadow grass, bending with the breeze. Like he was one and the same as them. Or perhaps, they were one and the same as him. Lately, Merlin seemed as if he could shift the balance of the world with a snap of his fingers, his whisper more powerful than the wind.

Arthur took another step forward. Long blades of dry grass brushed against his knuckles. He spread his fingers, reached out, welcoming their gentle caress. His heart raced, but his land and his conviction held him steady and sure. Stepping onto a tussock behind Merlin, for a slight advantage in height, Arthur wrapped his arms loosely around Merlin’s waist; rested his chin on his shoulder.

Merlin hummed as he rocked back into Arthur’s embrace.

“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” Arthur said. “To ask you.”

“Oh?”

“I want to go ahead with inviting the druid leaders to discuss lifting the ban on sorcery.” They’d talked about it often enough. They already had the knights on their side. Morgana had sent word that she’d come home and help with the negotiations. “As soon as possible.”

“That’s why you’ve been on edge the last couple of days,” Merlin replied mildly. He lifted one of Arthurs hands to his lips, and kissed the back of his fingers.

“No. Not because of that.”

Merlin must have felt the excitement in Arthur’s tone. Or perhaps he saw Arthur’s nervous smile out of the corner of his eye. Because he broke from the embrace and turned to face Arthur, his head tilted to one side, his stare intense and curious. He still had a boyish charm that melted Arthur like butter, though it was the wild spark in his eyes that set Arthur’s insides alight.

Seizing the moment, Arthur took Merlin’s hands in his, and dropped to his knees. He lifted his face to speak the words he had rehearsed a thousand times

“I love you, Merlin. I want you by my side, in every way, for the rest of my life. Will you be my consort, my partner in all things? Will you let me make my promise to you, in front of the whole kingdom?”

Merlin gasped. His hands flew to his face, his body jerked upwards from the force of his surprise, and he had to take a step back to steady himself.

A single step—

And his foot disappeared into a hole.

Merlin’s arms shot out as he fell, landing flat on his back. Any other occasion, Arthur would immediately have broken into a fit of uncontrolled laughter. Merlin beat him to it this time, shaking and laughing as he cried out, “Yes! Yes to everything. Yes, yes, yes!”

Arthur crawled over the damp, mushroomy grass and lay down alongside Merlin.

Merlin was aglow. His happiness shone out. Arthur hadn’t dared imagine his reaction would be half as good.

“Bested by a rabbit,” Merlin said, still laughing, as he pulled his foot out of the entrance to the new burrow.

Arthur considered it only right and fair that Merlin, who had the natural world under his command, should be bested by a lowly rabbit. After all, Merlin had been besting Arthur from the very moment they had met. In the process, however, he had taught Arthur humility. And joy and love and so many other things. He had made Arthur a better man.

Arthur slotted against Merlin. His missing half. Then they kissed, and it was sweet in its familiarity.

The dew had soaked through Arthur’s breeches before they broke apart for breath. Merlin combed his fingers through Arthur’s hair, then withdrew, and sat up, his elbows resting on his knees.

“A lot of people won’t like it,” he said seriously. “They’ll say you need someone who can give you an heir. And you and I both know what a fine job your father did of making people scared of sorcerers. They might think I enchanted you.”

Arthur sat too, and wrapped half of his cloak around Merlin’s shoulders. “You’re right. I can’t promise everything will be easy. But we have good people on our side to help us. Anyway, I don’t need an heir. Only a successor.”

“True.” Merlin nudged Arthur with his shoulder. “It might help to keep the nobility on your side if they think one of their children has a chance to inherit the throne.”

Arthur chuckled in agreement.

They sat side by side for a time, comfortable not talking. Only smiling. Their hearts and minds were aligned, and today… today was no ordinary day. This was the beginning of a bold new era. Rays of sunlight lanced through the dark clouds looming in the southern sky, turning the land into purest gold—as if the kingdom was already rejoicing.

**Author's Note:**

> Dear Furloughday, I hope this ticks some of your boxes. Thank you for the chance to embellish your art with words. 
> 
> When I saw this painting, I was struck by a feeling of hope and possibility. Music plays a big part in my writing, and the song that immediately sprang to mind was _Feeling Good_ , as sung by the inimitable Nina Simone. It's a song about emancipation, and hope, and the promise of a bright future. I hope some of that feeling came through in this vignette.


End file.
